While library workers are familiar with the term “vendor,” not all may feel they have the knowledge, skills, or ability to negotiate with vendors to provide library services on library terms. Enter On Our Terms: An OER about Library-Vendor Relationships, an open educational resource (OER) by Dr. Barbara Alvarez and Dr. Eleanor “Nora” Mattern.
In eight modules, including lectures, slides, and activities, Drs. Alvarez and Mattern guide you through the ethical, access and privacy issues in vendor products. You’ll learn how vendors fit into your collection, how contracts work, how artificial intelligence (AI) is influencing the way vendors operate, and how AI is making its way into vendor products. Armed with that knowledge, by the end of the OER you’ll have the knowledge and tools you need to work with vendors to provide services to your library on your terms.
Dr. Barbara Alvarez is an Associate Professor of Practice for the Master of Management in Library and Information Science at the University of Southern California’s Bovard College. Her teaching and research interests include community engagement, public libraries, reproductive health information, information democracies, and information ethics.
Dr. Eleanor “Nora” Mattern is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Information Culture and Data Stewardship at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information. Her teaching and research interests include archives, government information, critical data studies, and information policy. She is the Associate Director of Responsible Data and AI Practices in the Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership in Pitt’s Office of the Provost.
As an OER, this work can be adopted as a course textbook in library and information science programs at no cost to students. Its open license means it can also be revised, remixed, and/or translated to best meet local needs.
On Our Terms was developed as part of the Library Futures Research Network. Library Futures is proud to support the work of our community and to amplify the voices of those doing crucial work on equitable access in the digital age.